First Kisses
by St. Harridan
Summary: With some help from his distant past, and to further their budding relationship, Zaraki teaches Ukitake the art of kissing.


**This was supposed to be drabble-length but...my OTP has a way with me that I can never figure out.**

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><p><span>First Kisses<span>

"So…what say you, Zaraki?"

"Huh?"

"Don't…don't tell me you weren't listening."

Kenpachi looked over the top of his paperwork at the man sitting before him for the first time since his appearance, wondering just why he had bombarded him with such a thing so early in the morning. Though he hadn't barged straight into his office, preferring instead to knock and wait till he was granted permission to enter, Ukitake Jushiro still proved to be quite the odd one to Kenpachi. Most, if not all, of the Seireitei would laugh at him if he were to brand the white-haired captain as strange…but they didn't understand the situation Kenpachi was in.

They weren't the ones emotionally bound to said captain.

But to say that Kenpachi was involved with him would be an overstatement. They never really showed much affection towards one another in private, much less in the open, and so he'd rather not bet on their relationship being official. It was still unstable, like an overweight man walking across a chasm on a thin piece of rope, hands outstretched and struggling to balance himself.

Rather surprisingly, Kenpachi had indeed listened to whatever nonsense Jushiro had blurted out to him the moment he stepped into the room, and he couldn't help but admit that he was amused by the man's idea.

"What, ye wanna do it _now_?" Kenpachi drawled, supporting his jaw in a hand, and yawned loudly. "This early in the fuckin' mornin'?"

Jushiro gave a small shrug, forcing a hesitant smile.

"No better time than the present, I always say."

Kenpachi examined him for a moment, single grey eye moving all over his frame from head to toe and, upon reaching his face after a second round, leaned back in his chair with a huff.

"Fine, whatever ye want."

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Jushiro returned his gaze. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, thick with both captains' spiritual pressure, wherein Kenpachi eventually closed his eyes and puffed out a dreary sigh. Curling his fingers into tight fists, mustering up his courage, Jushiro went around the desk and stared down at him. Kenpachi tilted his head to look up.

"C'mon then, what're ye waitin' for?"

Jushiro swallowed a lump in his throat, trying hard to quell his nerves, and finally, with eyes squeezed shut, bent down to press his lips against Kenpachi's. For a moment he just stood there, mouth seemingly _stuck _to the other man's, waiting for him to respond.

"Ye're doin' it wrong, Ukitake," Kenpachi muttered against his lips. Jushiro pulled back, a slight shade of pink across his features, and frowned.

"Well, you wanted me to take the initiative. I have, and now you're complaining," he snapped, folding his arms across his chest.

"Who knew ye could be so fuckin' bad at it?" Kenpachi regarded him as if he were just another tedious child needing a disciplinary spanking, and jerked a thumb at his own mouth. "Listen, ye gotta work this. Shit gods didn't give you this for nothin', ye hear? I ain't got a clue how t'explain it, but jus' imagine eatin' an apple. Work it like ye're eatin' somethin' an' the rest'll come naturally."

Jushiro stared at him, utter puzzlement laced through his expression.

"Who told you that? Shunsui never said any of this in his stories."

Kenpachi barked out a laugh and shrugged.

"Ye can't trust that best friend a'yours. He ain't like ye, goin' 'round screwin' with women an' all." Here, Kenpachi flashed him a grin, one that, very much to Jushiro's annoyance, made his heart skip a beat. "Ye're more like the type t'wait for that special someone to come along, eh?"

Jushiro pursed his lips, nodding slowly and, following that, he realized how Kenpachi knew such things, eyes softening as he returned his gaze to the other man.

"Someone taught you this, am I right?"

Kenpachi scoffed, turning his head away, trying to ignore the sudden image that flashed through his mind – one that reminded him very much of his days spent in the 80th District. Those days were cruel, but there was still that one person who had made living all the more worthwhile.

"Well then," Jushiro stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "might as well try out her suggestion, no?"

And he bent down once again, pressed his lips to Kenpachi's. He took his words to heart, working his mouth, widening it and letting his tongue slip in, feeling a jolt of electricity when he felt Kenpachi's slid alongside his. Knees weakening, Jushiro forced himself to stand without needing any support – he didn't want to appear fragile, and this moment was just too…_ethereal _to let go. On its own accord, his hand reached out and brushed Kenpachi's cheek gently with a fingertip.

But then, just as he was about to lose himself in the intensity of Kenpachi's response, Jushiro jerked away and, gripping the side of the desk, coughed up a storm. He felt a large hand on his back almost instantly, rubbing in soothing circles, while another held his long hair out of the way.

When he was finally done, Jushiro couldn't even look at Kenpachi out of shame. Mentally cursing himself, he wiped his mouth roughly with a sleeve and turned on his heel, having only the mind to scamper right out of there and never look back.

But Kenpachi was fast; he grabbed Jushiro's wrist and pulled him to his chest, laughing at the pained look that was evident on his beet red face.

"Can't handle the heat eh, old man?"

Despite his utter embarrassment, Jushiro burst out with a chuckle.

"I _did _warn you that I'm not as young as I used to be."

Kenpachi smirked, gazing at him with a tint of affection laced through his single eye.

"Who the fuck cares?" He brushed his knuckles gently against Jushiro's cheek, and this time he didn't even try to ignore the dull ache in his heart, one that had been there since the earlier days before his arrival in the Seireitei.

He still remembered her like she had left him just yesterday, with a wave and a peck goodbye, and that first kiss they shared was still crystal clear in his mind. Innocent yet passionate, filled with youthful clumsiness – so alike this moment he had just experienced with his fellow captain.

"What is it?" Jushiro tilted his head slightly to the side, curiosity growing in his eyes as he stared up at him. Kenpachi grinned and nodded his approval.

"Ye ain't too shabby, Ukitake."

A smile of relief graced his features, and Jushiro reached out to caress his fingers over Kenpachi's bottom lip.

"Well, I'm glad to hear _that_ despite my sudden…outburst."

"Happens t'ev'ryone." Kenpachi took his chin in a hand, eye fixated hungrily to his mouth. "So this means we're official, eh?"

Jushiro made a show of pondering for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around the larger man's waist and flashed a playful grin.

"If not that, then what else?"

Then he pulled the other man down for a second round, and Kenpachi couldn't help but smirk and thank the late Yachiru for her nonsensical yet very much useful ideas.

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><p><strong>Yep, the "one person" mentioned here is the <em>first <em>Yachiru. The child Yachiru's most likely biting Ikkaku's head off right about now.**

**A review would be nice. :)**


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